I will share new products that I find to help our families affected with Autism and news stories that I find interesting.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Stanford University Study Finds That Marijuana Could Help With Autism

A study conducted by Stanford University has found that there might
be compounds in marijuana which have some very specific health benefits.

The study’s results reveal that cannabinoids – which are found in cannabis – might help to treat autism.

“A new study shows that mutations associated with autism block the
action of brain molecules that act on the same receptors that
marijuana’s active chemical acts on,” according to the Autism Daily
Newscast. “Thomas Sudhof, a cellular physiologist at Stanford
University, tested mutations associated with autism in mice. Two
mutations associated with autism in a synapse-adhesion protein led to
deficits in prolonged endocannabinoid signaling in mice. This suggests
that autism could caused by a disruption of the brain’s ability to send
clear signals.”
ADN references another study that supports the theory that cannabinoids could be used as a treatment to autism.

“Danielle Piomelli of UC Irvine and Olivier Manzoni of INSERM, the
French national research agency, treated mice exhibiting symptoms of
Fragile-X Syndrome, a disorder that causes autistic symptoms, with novel
compounds that correct the signaling of endocannibinoid transmitters in
the brain [which cannabinoids can do]. The mice showed dramatic
behavioral improvements in maze tests measuring anxiety and open-space
acceptance.”

ADN clearly believes that the study’s findings should be viewed as a reason for hope.
“Families who are already using the drug to treat their children’s
symptoms believe it has made all the difference in the world. Many
children with autism are already given cocktails of drugs that may be
even stronger than marijuana, with serious side effects and limited
results.”